Developing Across Differences: Addressing Everyday Racism

About

“But we’re not racist!”
“Racism doesn’t exist here.”
“We are color blind.”

Statements like these, despite often being sincere and even well-intentioned, dismiss the lived experiences of countless individuals who face subtle, yet persistent, racial discrimination daily.

This course raises awareness of everyday racism, the various roles that all of us (including racialized people) play in it at any given time, and, as a starting point for a more equitable future, explores how to overcome resistance to acknowledging racism and its effects.

Why should you attend?

This course is for those who work to help individuals and organizations develop across differences and can benefit from learning more about how to help stakeholders move beyond “Us vs Them” and start to discuss — using open and constructive dialogue — racism “not as a fight against white people but against systems that maintain white privilege” and are exclusionary.

Helping ourselves and stakeholders acknowledge and articulate their own fears, frustrations, and questions around race and racism — and learn how to sit with the vulnerability and discomfort that these topics often bring — can seem overwhelming.

This is especially true in communities where race may not be openly discussed or is avoided altogether — a denial which only perpetuates the already endemic problem.

But recognition of the issue and our role(s) in it is a pre-requisite for moving forward to a more equitable future. Guided, constructive conversations and dialogues can be important starting points in this process, noting that real change takes intention, time, practice, grace, and accountability.

Course leader

Drs. Charlotte Wekker

Target group

Participant profile
This course is for you if you are — or are helping those who are —

- Helping individuals and organizations develop across differences as a DEI or related practitioner and can benefit from learning more about how to initiate the topic of race / racism in ways that promote constructive engagement without alienating stakeholders in workplaces, classrooms, etc.
- A coach, mentor or otherwise work with people on their interpersonal development and want to feel more confident in conversations around race, e.g. when a coaching client or student you mentor or advice is experiencing racism.

Contact the organisers at ic@rug.nl or info@iddifferences.org if you have questions about the suitability of this course for your circumstances.

Level requirements
The DAD is for multipliers who help individuals, organizations and societies better recognize, appreciate and use differences as a way of better communicating, working and thriving together.

These are (in-house and external) trainers, educators, consultants, coaches, researchers, scholars, facilitators, HR staff, advanced-level (MA+) students, and professional development specialists with 5+ years of experience/study in the greater Differences field. Contact the organisers at ic@rug.nl or info@iddifferences.org for consultation about appropriateness and eligibility.

It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language to actively participate in the discussions and to present their own work in English.

Course aim

LEARNING OUTCOMES

In this course, you will learn how to help yourself — and those you work — with so that you/they can better:
- Be aware about the existence and impacts of everyday racism.
- Help move beyond resistance to addressing racism by allowing for discussion about the reasons behind the resistance.
- Hold constructive conversations about race using the “Dear White Groningen” and similar dialogical approaches.

Workload
6 hours of in-class learning and active participation using experiential methods.

Upon successful completion of the programme, the Summer School offers a Certificate of Attendance that mentions the workload of 6 hours (28 hours corresponds to 1 ECTS). Students can apply for recognition of these credits to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions. We will be happy to provide any necessary information that might be requested in addition to the certificate of attendance.

Fee info